


Wed Woses

by ladydragon76



Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Generation One
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-19 10:44:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22709614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladydragon76/pseuds/ladydragon76
Summary: Summary:It's Valentine's in theArk, and Cupid's gone awry in the most unexpected way.
Relationships: Grimlock/Sideswipe/Sunstreaker (Transformers)
Comments: 44
Kudos: 97





	Wed Woses

**Author's Note:**

> **'Verse:** G1  
>  **Series:** None  
>  **Rating:** PG-13  
>  **Characters:** Sideswipe/Sunstreaker/Grimlock  
>  **Warnings:** Drama~~, and Schmoop,  
>  **Notes:** A Valentine's Bunneh that gnawed on me back in 2018. It's now done! <3 Happy Valentine's Day!

"Oh! Wed woses! How womantic!" Sideswipe said with a bright smile and accepted the _actual bouquet_ of roses from Grimlock. Had to be a solid three dozen of them too.

"Hn. I like that movie," Grimlock said, visor a bit on the bright side.

"Anything Mel Brooks, my mech." Then Sideswipe blinked and looked up at the Dinobot. Had that been a full sentence? "Uh... Come in?" He offered and stepped back. "Have a seat, make yourself comfy." Primus, where was Sideswipe going to put all the roses? At least the bottoms were wrapped to keep them damp for now.

Sideswipe let the door shut as Grimlock sat on the couch and watched him, then went to dig out... anything for the roses. After clattering around the lounge for a minute unsuccessfully, he headed for the berthroom. "These are pretty," Sideswipe called as he ducked through the rough-cut doorway. "No one's ever given us roses before." An old bucket was dragged from a storage locker. Ugly, but it'd just have to do. Sideswipe rushed back to the lounge and plonked the bucket on the conversation table and set the roses in it. "I'll get some water for them in a bit."

Grimlock said nothing, and Sideswipe found himself actually floundering for something to say- not a common ailment of his. He covered for it and bought time by dragging the spare chair a bit closer to the couch. They matched because Sunstreaker insisted and had reupholstered them himself. He also got very annoyed when Sideswipe didn't sit in them properly, but instead perched on the arm or back -as he did now- with his feet on the seat cushion.

"So... thanks. I like them." Sideswipe nudged the bond, but Sunstreaker wasn't answering him. "Uh... Happy Valentine's."

"Happy Valentine's," Grimlock replied, deep voice rolling through Sideswipe in a way it never had before. "Got the message. How long have you known?"

Sideswipe shrugged because, first of all, what message? Second, how long had Sideswipe known what? Then it hit him, and Sideswipe only barely crushed back the shocked reaction. He had sent _Sunstreaker_ a Valentine's message that morning. It had been simple and short and spark-felt.

**I see who you really are even if the rest of the universe will never bother to try. They don't know what they're missing.**

Well, frag.

Of course Sideswipe had signed it. Of course, he'd meant such a thing for his twin. He'd left off any 'I love you's because the messages were to be collected and delivered throughout the day, and it was too easy for someone else to see them even if they weren't supposed to go snooping. Sideswipe hadn't expected his message to go awry when he'd been sure to put Sunstreaker's name on it, but here he was. With Grimlock. And three dozen deep red roses from frag knew where.

Like hell could Sideswipe just crush the mech's spark though, so he jabbed the bond more... enthusiastically- it was definitely not panic. _Sunny!_

"Why do you hide it?" Sideswipe asked and tipped his head a bit to watch Grimlock with the same steady gaze he used on Prowl -successfully- when their favorite Second in Command was getting a bit too close to the proof Sideswipe had indeed managed to staple fussy minibots to the ceiling in oversized pillowcases he definitely didn't special order or have spares of tucked away in that cupboard Prowl was standing right next to- no-siree-bob!

"Why bother? Just an abomination to the space fairy. Not real mechs."

And there was a bitterness Sideswipe could taste in the back of his own throat. "You're not an abomination," he said without thinking, the words coming out soft- way too soft, and yet somehow they seemed to ring off the walls and rattle his own plating.

Light flickered behind the red visor as Grimlock blinked. "You really do mean that, don't you?"

"Yeah, Grim. I really mean that." Sideswipe slid his aft from the back of the chair to the cushion and heaved a sigh. _Primus frag it, Sunshine, I need you here!_ He pummeled the block on the bond and scrubbed at his face.

"Should I not have come? Was this," Grimlock waved at the roses, "too much, too soon?" Then far too softly, so Sideswipe only barely heard the words -the ache and the nervousness of them- added, "I've never had anyone interested."

"No, no. No, nobody ever brought us roses before, and it's pretty amazing that you did. I just wish Sunny was here." Sideswipe hesitated a bit himself, but hey, if he was going to roll along with this, then Grimlock really had to understand. "Sunny too, ya know. It's... we're a package deal. Always. I... _we_ really have no idea what might happen here." He pointed a finger and swung it back and forth between them. "Uh... nothing has to. Like romantic." He gave Grimlock's body a real look, and couldn't deny that, while he'd never thought it before, he definitely was now. "Not against it though."

"I know, and I'm not here to pressure you. Either of you," Grimlock said, and Primus, but it was _weird_ to hear him speak normally, to hear what Sideswipe guessed was Grimlock's 'true' voice. Weird but good. Like, the kind of good that now that Sideswipe _was_ thinking it, he really wouldn't mind it if he got to hear that voice pour over his audial while being fragged within an inch of his life.

Sunstreaker got another heavy series of jabs and finally lowered the block to snap, _**What** , you fraghead?!_

_I sent you a Valentine's message, and somehow Grimlock got it, and now he's here. Sunny, he brought us roses. **Us** , both of us, and I don't have the spark to tell him I didn't send that message to him, and I'm thinking I really wouldn't mind doing a few casual dates to see. I mean, worst case we let him down easy and say we'd rather be friends, but definitely want to be friends, cuz... frag me sideways, bro, he's like here on our couch-_

_Primus, Sides!_

_Don't be mad._ Meanwhile, Sideswipe nodded to Grimlock and smiled like he wasn't panicking. The thing was, he wasn't _afraid_ of Grimlock's reaction. He was afraid of being one of those the big lug figured thought he was an abomination. Sideswipe couldn't bear it. Not after all the ages he and Sunstreaker had been called the same ugly thing. Not when it still happened- snide little fraggers deserved worse than being hung up in pillowcases for an hour.

"I... Well, I didn't expect you to come. Ya know, respond at all, actually." There, that was close enough to the truth because Sideswipe really had not expected to open his door and see Grimlock with roses. Maybe one day, if things worked out like some random-aft miracle it'd be, Sideswipe could tell Grimlock the truth, and they would all get a hearty laugh out of it as they snuggled in their berth.

_Sideswipe!_ Sunstreaker snapped, his own fear snaking across the bond. _For Primus' sake, you daffy glitch! Don't you dare start imagining a future yet!_

Sideswipe sent an apology over the bond. _But we can give it a casual go?_

"I wasn't sure I should," Grimlock said and fidgeted a bit. It melted Sideswipe's spark. Daw... the big mountain of a mech was _nervous_! That was _adorable_!

_Sideswipe... Ugh. I hate you. We go slow. And he dates **both** of us. No solo dates unless we really believe he wants us both equally. I'm not having another Smokescreen. Or Tracks, or-_

_Agreed,_ Sideswipe said, cutting off his twin, not wanting to think of all their failed attempts at relationships with mechs they managed to agree on, but who ended up only wanting one or the other while only tolerating the 'spare'.

"But Swoop and Sludge said I'd never know if I didn't try," Grimlock continued and gestured toward the roses. "Sludge helped me get those wrapped. Afraid my knowledge of flowers is limited to which ones I like the smell of and which ones make me sneeze."

Sideswipe grinned. "Flowers make you sneeze?"

"Heh... tickle the filters," Grimlock replied, a finger pointed and wiggled at his helm vents.

Sideswipe couldn't help but chuckle a little. "Yeah, spring is awful, but Ratchet still swears that we don't have allergies."

"It's not allergies, just fine particulates not settling on the filters," Grimlock replied in almost the same tone Sideswipe had heard Ratchet use every time he'd gone to the medic, head aching from sneezing and needing a filter rinse.

Sideswipe threw his head back and laughed. _Sunny!_

Sunstreaker grumbled wordlessly for a moment. _Tell him I'm off shift in two hours. He can come back then and take us on a proper date. Now leave me alone, Jazz is giving me looks._

Sideswipe didn't fight against the fresh block on the bond and smiled at Grimlock. "How about this? Sunny gets off shift in a few hours, why don't you come up with something for the three of us to do. Maybe go out? Take a dr- a walk? Get away from the aftheads who would stare and giggle and give us slag so we can hang out and get to know each other better."

"A date?" Grimlock asked, his visor flaring. "Yes!"

Sideswipe laughed again, charmed, and Sunstreaker was going to kick his aft because he was trying to imagine it. Trying to see what a real relationship with Grimlock would look like. "I mean, I don't want to promise you anything, ok? You're... kind of amazing," he said and really meant it. "But like, Sunny and I, we've been hurt before. We decide on a mech we both want, and it's always turned out that he wanted one of us more than the other." Usually Sideswipe, which made guilt eat at him. It was why he'd sent the message he'd sent. Sunstreaker was so much more than anyone else knew. So much more than they would ever even try to see. "So, how are you for going slow? Let's be friends and go on some dates and get to know each other, and like... honest. Frag, please, mech, you gotta be honest with us, because we always figured it out when that mech started to prefer one of us over the other, no matter how careful he played the game."

Grimlock nodded, the light in his visor dimmed. "Slow is good. Like I said, I really have no experience with this sort of thing. And having two real _friends_ wouldn't be a consolation prize for me."

Frag, Sideswipe thought, spark pulsing harder and mind blanking a little. Grimlock meant it. A smile bloomed across his face again. "Exactly. Fragging... _exactly_!" He bounced up out of his seat. "Three hours? Swing by and pick us up, and we'll just go out for a nice evening walk or something and talk about whatever?"

Grimlock stood with a nod. "Perfect," he murmured, and a shimmer of... something tingled its way down Sideswipe's spinal struts. One big hand, claws sharp enough to rend battle grade plating, took Sideswipe's in such a gentle grasp, his spark tripped over itself. "See you both then."

"Yeah," Sideswipe managed and hoped it didn't sound as weak and faint to Grimlock as it had to his own audials.

But no, there was something smug in that glance the Dinobot tossed back over his shoulder and winglet as he let himself out the door.

"Oh, I'm so fragged," Sideswipe groaned and flopped, face-first, onto the couch once the door shut. His middle fell over the spot where Grimlock had sat, and the warmth soaked into his plating. "Oh so fragged." Why did his hopes like to skyrocket like this?

~ | ~

Sunstreaker was nowhere near as excited about this... date, as his twin. Sideswipe was such a fragging romantic, and his hopes were already so stupidly high that Sunstreaker couldn't help but worry. First, the Dinobots were frelling _young_ \- adults, but damn young even compared to the relative youth Sunstreaker and Sideswipe could claim. They lacked lived experience which meant that even if things went well for a while, Grimlock would eventually realize he could have better and go looking for it. Cue Sideswipe's shattered spark all over again, which was a surefire way to make Sunstreaker do bad things that made him more enemies within his own faction in addition to more brig time- which he also hated. Second, until just three hours ago, the twins had believed -just like everyone else- that the Dinobots were little more than sapient drones, that while alive, and good, and damn fine frontline warriors, they just didn't have the standard processors. They couldn't employ the same logic or reason, nor even learn how. The twins hadn't even looked at any of the Dinobots as potential berth-warmers, let alone partners suited to trying for 'more' because- well it sure hadn't occurred to Sunstreaker, but looking back, he'd have decided against it simply because he wouldn't be able to be sure any of them really understood what 'facing was and what it meant. And the twins didn't take advantage of others like that. Sunstreaker was ultimately going along with this because he couldn't ever seem to tell Sideswipe no, and because he was -even if he only admitted it to himself- curious about who Grimlock _really_ was.

That didn't mean they weren't all going to crash and burn, which led Sunstreaker to the third and fourth reasons this was probably one of the worst decisions they could make with a war going on. Wheeljack and Ratchet. Those two had always been hyper-protective over the Dinobots, and Sunstreaker didn't want to have two such dangerous mechs angry with them. He had _real_ respect for Wheeljack. Mech was brilliant and devious and -to the long-standing confusion of all other Autobots- _loved_ the Dinobots. It was no stretch of the imagination to fear what he would do to the mech who hurt one of his creations.

Ratchet was a force of nature and not to be trifled with under the best of circumstances. Sunstreaker adored and trusted the medic, just as Sideswipe did. Ratchet didn't back down from Optimus Prime or Megatron. He stood toe to toe with Prowl and made medical orders stick. He had saved Sunstreaker's only reason to continue to live and fight on from Primus' hands more times than he could count. He'd saved Sunstreaker's life directly plenty of times too. Sunstreaker didn't want to even accidentally hurt Grimlock and lose Ratchet's secret-not-really-a-secret affection. Ratchet would never shirk his duties as a medic, but what if anger made him miss something and Sideswipe died?

_You have got to stop, bro,_ Sideswipe said as they walked along.

Sunstreaker hadn't been paying attention to the conversation or where they were going, but he looked up now as he jabbed Sideswipe though the bond. _One of us has to think of consequences, and we all know that won't be you._ He glanced around at the trees -still bare in the last grip of winter- and caught the sound of the river nearby. At least Grimlock was taking them somewhere pretty. Sunstreaker liked the river, how it was far enough away from base to feel private, but not so far that they couldn't get back if the Decepticons caused trouble. 

"I hope you both like it," Grimlock said, his pace lengthening to put him in front of Sideswipe instead of beside as they had been walking.

Sunstreaker arched an optic ridge as they were led past the treeline and tipped his head to see around Grimlock.

"Oh wow," Sideswipe said and all but skipped forward to the large tarp on the ground. "It's a fraggin' picnic!"

It was, and Sunstreaker felt rooted to the ground in real surprise- until Grimlock ever so damn gently took his hand and guided him to the tarp. There was energon and gelled goodies, of course, but what really stunned Sunstreaker were the oilcakes. Sideswipe made them when they could, but that wasn't often. Seeing them here made Sunstreaker's jaw tingle and tanks feel far too empty. Primus, but oilcakes were his _favorite_!

"I had a little help pulling this together," Grimlock admitted, head ducked a bit and shoulders hunched. It made Sunstreaker suddenly want to punch every Autobot ever who had insulted and belittled the Dinobot- himself and his twin included.

"This is amazing, Grim!" Sideswipe said, already happily plopping himself next to the carefully stacked plates.

Primus... _plates_!

"These are cute," Sideswipe said, lifting one. "Like seriously, who made these?"

"Me, Sludge, and Slag" Grimlock answered as he, too, sat. "Sludge had the idea and worked with Slag to form the glass, and then I did the decals."

"No shit? That's so cool." Sideswipe passed a plate to Sunstreaker then Grimlock. "When'd you get into art?"

Sunstreaker dragged his fingertips over the paint. The plate was glass- actual glass, thick but delicate, with a slightly blue-green tint. Grimlock had painted on trees- no the scenery from the road leading up to the _Ark_ around the edge. As Sunstreaker turned the plate he stopped at the small volcano, the ship's orange thrusters sticking out over a dark little cave. "This is beautiful."

Grimlock's field flared with embarrassed pride, and in the back of Sunstreaker's mind, Sideswipe was cooing at the hunched shoulders and shy duck of the Dinobot's head.

"Thanks. I'm still learning, but I liked how these came out."

"Bet the treats came out good too!" Sideswipe said and began filling everyone's plates.

"Aren't I supposed to do that?" Grimlock asked, but he didn't bother trying to stop Sideswipe. "You know, as host?"

"Let him," Sunstreaker said and leaned closer to Grimlock to see his plate. The detailing was the same, in as much as hand-painted trees and miniature _Ark_ s could be the same. "And you never really stop learning with art."

"Sunny would know. He's an artist too," Sideswipe said and reached for a decanter of what looked like mild high grade. Grimlock beat him to it though, and then Sunstreaker was treated to the sight of actual glasses of energon instead of the usual cube and distracted from smacking his twin for secret-telling. "Wow," Sideswipe said, dropping back to his aft. He took the glass, which was the same blue-green as the plates, and admired it.

Sunstreaker took his when Grimlock passed it to him. There was no paint on the glasses, but they were still pretty.

"Slag and Sludge worked these out," Grimlock said and retracted his mask.

Sunstreaker blinked. Why he was surprised, he didn't know. He'd seen Optimus refuel, Wheeljack, Hoist... Pits, he'd even seen Soundwave's mouth once after Sideswipe had slammed a pile driver right into the 'Con's battlemask.

_Because we've never seen his face before,_ Sideswipe murmured, grinning over the rim of his glass, and optics on Grimlock's face. _Nice lips._

They were, but Grimlock had caught them looking and was now doing his best to hide behind his glass and pretend to drink his energon. Sunstreaker dropped his gaze and grabbed an oilcake. _We agreed slow,_ , Sunstreaker reminded his twin.

_Yeah, yeah. I know_. Sideswipe popped a treat into his mouth, chewing it before saying, "This is real nice, Grim. Seriously."

"Glad you like it," Grimlock replied, though his chin remained a bit tucked.

"So, like..." Sideswipe sucked energon syrup off his thumb. "We are both interested in seeing where all this goes, but we talked more along the lines you and I did, and we definitely want to go slow." A hand was waved around. "You know our rep. But like, fragging and dating are different. If we're gonna do this and take it seriously, it'll probably be a bit before we let you 'face us, but we won't be berth hopping until we know what's going on here."

"Not looking to 'face tonight," Grimlock said, field rippling and the corners of his mouth turning down a little. "Though I do appreciate the exclusivity. I can skip 'facing with my brothers if you like."

"Didn't feel like you'd push for that," Sideswipe said and leaned back on one hand, his plate balanced on his lap. "Just we've dealt with some miscommunication before, and no. Brothers don't count for 'berth-hopping'. Not like I'm not going to frag Sunny through all the handy surfaces until we're sure about you. We wouldn't ask that of you. We just won't be chasing other taillights or letting anyone else catch ours. It's just that we've dealt with some miscommunication before and would rather avoid it this time."

Sunstreaker snorted at that particular understatement. "He means our lovelife is a fragging train wreck, and we've learned not to just dive in with a handful of assumptions."

" _And_ ," Sideswipe added, "we've learned that saying things straight out helps. It hasn't managed to work out, but-"

"Gives the mech a chance to run before he does something to get his aft handed to him over," Sunstreaker interrupted.

"I'm not running," Grimlock said in a tone that caught Sunstreaker's attention, and he found his gaze caught and held. "Package deal. I get that. I don't want anything less, and I'm good with going slow." He huffed something that might have been a laugh if it'd had any humor to it at all. "I'm sort of lacking in experience here. No one but my brothers have ever wanted me."

"Well, mechs can be blind," Sideswipe tossed in, then shoved a whole oilcake into his mouth.

"Pig," Sunstreaker said as his twin moaned at the taste. They _were_ really good.

Grimlock's visor deepened in color, but he said nothing. Interfacing was out, so interfacing with food as a prop definitely was, and Sunstreaker was just glad he didn't have to argue for it this time. Pits, that was probably one of the red flags they should have seen before. It was... refreshing that Grimlock was on the same page.

"What medium do you usually work with?" Grimlock asked, and it took Sunstreaker a second to clue in.

"Paints. Least I did before the war," Sunstreaker answered. "Now I usually stick to a 'pad. Supplies are harder to get here and where would I store the work? You?"

"Datapad usually," Grimlock said then hesitated. "Uh... I'm sure I'm not as good as you, but-"

"I wanna see!" Sideswipe said, nearly knocking his plate off his leg. "Can I, can I?"

"Primus."

"Uh... yeah?" Grimlock pulled out a datapad and switched it on while Sideswipe made grabby hands. Wisely, Grimlock didn't hand over the 'pad, simply turned it so they could see.

"That's not bad at all," Sunstreaker said, but he locked his vocalizer down on any further critique.

"Frag 'not bad'! That's really good!" Sideswipe made to reach, but Sunstreaker jabbed him over the bond, and Grimlock turned the 'pad back and swiped a few times. "Seriously. I mean, ok, I think Sunny's stuff is a little more polished, but you've only been around like what? Half a vorn? What year is it?" he asked Sunstreaker.

"Not even," Sunstreaker said. "And Sides is right. You've got talent under the skill, so if you keep practicing, you'll get even better."

"Thanks. Oh!" Grimlock chuckled, the soft sound rumbling through Sunstreaker's plating. "Don't tell Ratchet this exists."

The piece was of everyone's favorite Hatchet flopped over his desk, hand curled around a cube of half-finished energon, mouth partly open and cheek smooshed on top of the datapad he'd been working on.

"I won't tell so long as you promise me, that's getting printed poster size for the rec room wall," Sideswipe chortled.

"I wouldn't do that to him," Grimlock said. He made to turn it back, but Sunstreaker stopped him.

"This is better," Sunstreaker said. "Your proportions are more correct."

"Mechs are easier," Grimlock said. "With landscapes I always feel like my perspective's just off."

"I hate landscapes." Sunstreaker sat back upright as Sideswipe snickered.

"He used to get commissioned for cityscapes of Iacon all the time. Though that one you did of the crystal gardens in Praxus was really good. You didn't swear never to take a commission again while working on that one."

"Because that was interesting," Sunstreaker said and finished off his energon.

"Do you think I could see some of your stuff?" Grimlock asked. "I mean. Not today, but sometime?"

Sunstreaker gave it a moment's thought. "Yeah. Everything's in our quarters though, so definitely not tonight. But no telling. I don't want everyone giving me slag about it."

"Why would-" Grimlock cut himself off and huffed out a breath. "Yeah. Mums the word all around."

"Yeah," Sideswipe said and sighed as he picked up another goodie. "But here's to mechs who get it." He toasted them with the treat then tossed it into his mouth.

~ | ~

It had been going entirely too well, Grimlock thought as Smokescreen slipped into the seat across from him. Two months, a dozen dates and comfortable night's in. They'd even moved on to kissing. Or well, Sideswipe had. Sunstreaker had sat close and remained quiet, and only Grimlock being used to being watched by a brother or two while tumbling another had allowed him to mostly ignore it. That and knowing that Sunstreaker was the cautious one, that Sideswipe was more willing to risk his spark while his brother was still bracing for them both to be spark-broken.

"What you Smokescreen want?" Grimlock demanded, and resisted the urge to look for the twins. Sideswipe had bounced off toward Bluestreak when the sniper had called out to him, and Sunstreaker had slipped away after saying he'd get them all energon, for Grimlock to grab an out of the way table. Grimlock knew Jazz had waylaid all of them and was now holding court with Sideswipe's laughter ringing over the general murmur of conversation.

"Easy, Grimmy."

"Me Grimlock," Grimlock corrected, voice snarling. He'd never particularly liked Smokescreen, and the mech's treatment of Swoop had cemented that opinion. Knowing the mech was one of those the twins counted as 'A Bad Experience' only piled on the dislike.

"Noticed you've made friends with our twin terrors of late," Smokescreen continued, optic not even flickering to show he'd heard Grimlock. "Thought I'd save you some sparkbreak there, my mech."

Grimlock planted his hands on the table and stood, purposely making the legs of his chair scrape loudly. "Me Grimlock think you Smokescreen not know what you talk about. Me Grimlock think you Smokescreen might want shut mouth." He straightened and stepped away, noting that while he had garnered a fair amount of attention, no one else seemed to notice how the twins had gone shoulder to shoulder. Grimlock knew that stance, and he thought he could read the light in their optics too, as they stared Smokescreen down.

"Oh, but I do," Smokescreen said, lounging in the seat. "You see, that message Sideswipe sent? It wasn't for you."

Grimlock's head snapped around. The words had been quiet, but more and more mechs had quieted as well, wondering what was going on, and they carried.

"Frag yourself," Grimlock growled.

"Just ask them. You've been played, Grimmy."

"Message?" someone asked.

"For Valentine's," Smokescreen answered without taking his gaze from Grimlock's visor.

"Why in the world would Sideswipe have sent Grimlock a Valentine?"

Grimlock didn't see who said it. He couldn't even recognize the disbelieving voice over the roaring in his audials. There was a clank. A shout. And Grimlock whipped around to storm out of the rec room.

He was an idiot.

How could he have ever believed that anyone, let alone two mechs as beautiful as the twins would want him? Smokescreen had played it. He'd relished in telling Grimlock, in making it hurt to hear, in probably waiting until it would really sting, but it was Grimlock's fault for falling for the trick in the first place.

Grimlock ran.

~ | ~

Sideswipe winced as Swoop pried up the dent over his knuckles. "Ya know, they say you should never deck a mech with a closed fist..."

Swoop made a soft noise in acknowledgement, but said nothing.

Silence dragged out until Sideswipe couldn't stand it anymore and said, "We really like Grimlock. He's sweet. He treats us good. He treats us equal. He's... a really good kisser."

"But the message wasn't for him," Swoop said- nearly whispered.

"No," Sideswipe admitted, equally quietly because Skids suddenly groaned as he regained consciousness a few med berths away. Sideswipe was tempted to go punch him again and accept the repercussions for attacking Ratchet's patient. He wished Sunstreaker hadn't been hauled off by Prowl to 'cool off' when his twin had gone for Smokescreen's throat, because then he'd be here and could go punch Skids for Sideswipe. "It was meant for Sunny, but then Grimlock showed up with roses, and he was just so cute and sincere, and then we went on that first date, and we all talked, and..." Sideswipe heaved a sigh up from the tips of his feet and slumped. "We really, really like him a lot, ok?"

"Not me you're gonna have to convince," Swoop said, inspecting Sideswipe's hand before releasing it.

"You're his brother."

That seemed to catch Swoop's attention, and he grinned. "Ok, so you convinced me already." The Dinobot reached out and patted Sideswipe's head. "Also," he added leaning in a little, grin turning a bit scary and malicious, "you didn't even think. You just punched Skids right in the face for insinuating no one could want Grimlock." Sideswipe flinched a little, but all Swoop did was poke him in the nose as he straightened to his full height. "Me Swoop think yous Sides and Sunny love Grimlock," he said louder. "Go find. Him Grimlock sensitive soul. Out pouting now."

Sideswipe hopped off the table and with a mumbled thanks, scurried out of the medbay to collect his twin before doing exactly as Swoop said.

~

Finding Grimlock was not easy. They checked everywhere, including the Dinobots' quarters, their quarters, the brig -just in case-, and finally resorted to comming Red Alert to beg for some intel. Sideswipe sort of wondered if they shouldn't have looked here first. It was Grimlock's favorite spot by the river after all.

"Grim?" Sideswipe called, Sunstreaker trailing nervously behind him, suddenly reluctant and fearful now that they had found their missing... lover? Was that even the right term for a mech only one of them had made out with once?

"He was telling the truth," Grimlock said, and his tone ripped at Sideswipe's spark.

"Sorta?" Sideswipe towed Sunstreaker over and swung his twin around Grimlock's hunched back so they could sit on either side of the big mech. "I did send the message to Sunstreaker," he said and plopped his aft into the grass, "and Prowl promised he would investigate why it went to you instead, but... Look, it doesn't matter though. Right? You brought us roses! You took us on a picnic for our first date!"

Grimlock turned his head a bit toward Sideswipe, just enough to get a glimpse of the dim red of his visor. "You let me make a complete fool of myself."

"He thought you were adorable," Sunstreaker said and finally sat, knees up and arms stretched out over them so his hands dangled in the air. "He was already being hopeful and letting his spark run away with him. Fragger was imagining the future damn day we'd all be curled in the berth and laughing over the mix-up."

Grimlock's head turned. "Laugh?" He snorted, a singularly derisive sound that made Sideswipe's spark sink. "And you're going to sit here and tell me you planned all along to tell me the truth."

"Well, yeah," Sideswipe said and gnawed his lip for a moment. "I mean. We'd have to. Don't know how Smokescreen knew about it, but neither of us wanted to let it remain a lie, so... yeah. I figured once we were sure you really wanted both of us and that it could work, that we'd tell you. I mean... this whole wonderful thing was started by a glitch in the messaging system. That's funny. That's like rom-com kinda funny." Sideswipe bit his lip and met Grimlock's glare head-on and did his best not to flinch. "Come on! You know how those movies are! Something insane happens and the couple ends up together and they were clearly meant to be the whole time!" He threw his hands out, pushed his conviction harder into his field, but Grimlock just stared.

Sideswipe dropped his hands and sighed. "Yeah, ok, _now_ I can see how it'd be hurtful, especially with someone else telling you like we were back here laughing the whole time, but we _weren't_ ," he insisted, pointing a finger at Grimlock. Though even that momentary burst of energy fled, and Sideswipe slumped. "So are you breaking up with us then?"

The river was pretty this time of spring, and clearly needed stared at really hard, because Sideswipe just could not be looking at Grimlock's face when he said 'yes'.

"How am I supposed to trust you?" Grimlock asked, and Sideswipe felt Sunstreaker flinch with him. "How am I, the clumsy drone abomination, supposed to believe the two most desirable mechs in the Autobot army aren't just stretching the game out?"

Sideswipe gnawed his lip and dragged at Sunstreaker through their bond, so he wouldn't storm off and go nurse their wounds alone in their quarters, probably pounding to scrap anyone they saw on the way. Somewhere a bird cheeped, and Sideswipe noticed how bright the green of the new grass was where the sun dappled down. "Because we're not the mechs who did that same slag to us," he said at length, and made himself face Grimlock. "What if I had told you when you showed up with those roses? Would you have stayed? Would you have gone on a date with us? Or would you have run off, embarrassed, and we'd never have gotten to know the real you?"

Grimlock looked away first this time. "No, I'm not breaking up with you," he grumbled. "What are we going to do?"

"About?" Sunstreaker asked.

"Smokescreen. Skids. Prowl? Everyone else and the shit they're going to say?" Grimlock threw out, hand swinging up expressively.

"Well, Prowl already lectured Sunny, and me through him, on how very un-Autobot it is to punch our comrades in their faces," Sideswipe said with a shrug.

"Smokescreen's an aft, but if he works someone up into punching them, it's because he wants them to do it," Sunstreaker added and looked up at Grimlock. "Don't punch him. He's a glitch, but he's too good at manipulating others."

"Yeah," Sideswipe agreed, ignoring the fact his twin had gone after Smokescreen not all that long ago. "Best to tell Jazz that you think it's time old Smokes was brought down a peg or two again." Sideswipe frowned and figured he might just have that chat with Jazz himself. Later though. "Frag everyone else. We like you, you like us, we're doing this. They don't get a damn say in it. They don't get to question it or us." Because Sideswipe was totally fine with denting his knuckles, and he kind of got the feeling that Swoop wouldn't be too annoyed about having to repair them.

Come to think of it, Ratchet hadn't even given Sideswipe the stink-eye about having to deal with a knocked out Skids.

"Hey," Sideswipe said with a grin as he bumped his shoulder against Grimlock's side. When the big mech looked down at him, Sideswipe winked and blew him a kiss. "You're cute and sexy and kiss good. Wanna do more of that?"

"Being cute and sexy?" Grimlock asked. "Hadn't planned on stopping."

Sunstreaker snorted a laugh, but when Sideswipe moved to get up onto his knees, it was Sunstreaker who managed to throw himself against Grimlock's chest first. Sideswipe smiled and watched as Grimlock let himself fall back with Sunstreaker draped over him.

"Sideswipe already had a turn."

"And good little mechs take turns," Grimlock replied and retracted his mask.

~ | ~

Grimlock walked behind the twins the next morning as they all entered the rather packed rec room. They could have walked side by side in the hall, but he was rather enjoying the wobble in their normally even gait. Sideswipe wore a pleased, if still sleepy smile, and Sunstreaker hadn't even mentioned the scuffs to his finish, let alone tried to buff them out.

All conversation stopped as the three of them entered, and Grimlock let his claws brush lightly over their helms. "Go sit before you fall down," he said, voice a low rumble- which he knew carried. "I'll get us energon."

Sideswipe tossed a half-hearted thumbs-up in Grimlock's direction and towed his twin to the nearest empty table where they both flopped down. Grimlock smirked under his mask when they winced and shifted. He'd been careful of course, but Grimlock was... proportional.

The whispers started the second Grimlock's back was to the room, and he listened idly as the cubes filled. When he turned, two cubes in one hand, and his own in the other, Grimlock spotted Jazz just inside the doors, head tilted and face angled toward the twins.

"Knew y'all crazy kids would figure it out," Jazz said into the quiet and gave Grimlock the kind of smarmy smile only Jazz could pull off without being gross while Sunstreaker dropped his forehelm to the tabletop. "Good work, my mech!"

Grimlock accepted the light slap to his arm with an amused grumble of sound and returned to his lovers.

"They're all staring, aren't they?" Sunstreaker asked, then almost immediately groaned as Sideswipe popped to his feet.

"Yes! He fragged us!" Sideswipe announced, arms spread, and Grimlock felt his face heat. "And frag the lot of you! _You_ guys missed the fuck out! Hah!" He made a clumsy grab for the energon. "Oh gods, gimme that. I need it."

"Said that last night too," Grimlock said -not quietly- making Sunstreaker groan into the table again.

" _He_ said that then too." Sideswipe wore a huge grin, shameless as he very carefully slumped back into his seat again.

"I hate you both."

"No, you love us," Sideswipe said, and Grimlock's spark tripped over itself. Then again when Sunstreaker looked up, first at Sideswipe, then across the table at Grimlock.

"Yeah," Sunstreaker said and dragged over his cube. Buried behind it and optics lowered over cheeks that went pink, he then pretended they hadn't just admitted that in public, right in front of witnesses.

Grimlock retracted his mask and smiled over the top of his own energon. "Love's a good word for it."

**Author's Note:**

> Check out [my post here on DW](https://ladydragon76.dreamwidth.org/334490.html) for more info on me and what I'm up to!


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